Razor-blade sharpener.



C. ALTER.

RAZOR BLADE SHARPENER.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.16, 1912.

1,060,657. Patented May 6, 1913.

' 7% 1% I m W ATTORNEYS RAZOR-BLADE SHARPENER.

LWSQQSEK Application filed February .26, 1912. Serial No. 677,901.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May'fi, 1913.

'0 all whomit may! concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN ALTER, a citizen of the United States, and a residentof the city of New York, borough of Man' 5 hattan, in the county and State of New York, have inventedanew and Improved RazonBlade Sharpener, .ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description. The invention relates to razor stropping and honing machines, such as shown and described in the Letters Patent of the United States, No. 1,001,578, granted to me on August 22,1911.

The'object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved razor blade sharpener, which is simple and durable in construction, easily manipulated and arranged to permit convenient and quick sharpening of the ordinary razors or the blades of various makes of safety razors.

For the purpose mentioned use is 'made ofa revoluble sharpening wheel adapted to be engaged by the'razor blade removably.

' held in a holder mounted on a swing arm to move either side of the cuttin edge of the blade intoengagement with t, e peripheral face of the said wheel, the said swing arm,

and the said'wheel being controlled by a re- 'versible driving mechanism under-the control of the operator.

A practical embodiment of-the invent-ion is represented in the accompanying draw ings forming a part of this specification, in

which similar characters of reference indisate corresponding. parts in allthe views.

' v Figure 1 is a side elevation of the razor blade sharpener arranged for holding it in the hand while using it; Fig. 2 is a front endelevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a seca table or other support; Fig. 4 is a rear end elevation of the same with diherent position {Fig 5 is a sectional plan View of th e sanie on the line 5 -5 of Fig. 1:; Fig. 6 is'a cross section of the sharpening wheel, the section being on the line 6.6 of Fig. 3; Fig. :7 is an enlarged cross section of the holder, the section being on the line i-T of Fig.1, and the holder being ar-- ranged ifor .holding flexible razor blades having" a reinforced backs: or Gillette razor blades; and Fig. 8 1s a cross sect on of a modified form of the holder arranged forholding non-flexible razor blades.

5 illhe razor blade sharpener is mounted on p 'a:.suitably constructed frame A provided tionai side elevation'of the same; clamped to arts in a.

,the blade. I- is moved into engagement wit the peripheral face of the WheelfH' and with a handle B for holding the frame in the hand while using the razor blade sharpener, but if desired the frame A may be fastened by a suitable clamp C to a table D or other support, as plainly indicated in Fig. 3. The frame A is provided with a tubular bearing E in which is mounted to turn a shaft F, and on the said bearing E is mounted to turn a sleeve G carrying a sharpening wheel. H provided with a peripheral face H of leather. for stropping purposes, or of stone or the like material for honing purposes. The wheel H is adapted to turn with the shaftF, and for this purpose the outer end of the shaft F is provided with a projection F adapted to enage either side of a tooth 'or aprojection d formed on the outen end of the sleeve G sothat when the shaft F is'turned in one direction the projection F engages one side of the tooth G to rotate the wheel H in the same direction as the. shaft, and when the shaft. F is turned inan opposite direction thenthe wheel H remains at a standstill for the time being until the projection. F has swung around and engaged the 'other side of the tooth G to thus turn the wheel G- in the reverse directio'mthat is, in the direction in adapted to be engaged by'either side of the cutting edge of the razon'blade Iqto be arm K having a pivotedmembe'rdi joursharpened, the said "razor blade lbeiiig reniovably mounted'in'ja holder J' ad-justably secured on the outer member K of'a swing ing'part of the frame A. The members K and K are preferably parallel'to each other,

and parallel to the axisof thewheel H, and

when the swing arm is swung to one side,

for instance, asshown inv dotted lines in Fig. 2, then one side of theflcuttirig edge of when the swing arm K is swung over to the opposite side as indicated-in Fig. tthen the other side of the razor blade I is moved into .contact .with the peripheral face of the wheel H.

' In order to swing swing'arm K into either of the two'position's mentioned and to turn' the wheel H in a corresponding direction, the following arrangement is made: The head L. of a crank arm'Lis mounted loosely on the bearing E and is'provided h" too with'a gear wheel N in mesh with a gear wheel N secured on the inner end of the shaft F. Thuswhen the crank arm L is turned around in one direction a rotary mo- 5 tion is given to the wheel H in the opposite direction, and when the crank arm L is turned in a reverse direction then the wheel H is likewise reversed. The crank arm L is connected by a friction device 0 with the 39 journal member K of the swing arm K, the

said friction device 9 having two clamping members engaging opposite sides of a collar K fixed on the outer end of thejournal member K and the said clamping members are attached at one end at O to the crank arm L, and a screw 0 passes through the free end of one of the clamping members and screws in the free end of the other-clamping members so as to engage the clamping mem- .berswith more or less force as desired by the operator. By the use of the friction device 0 the swing arm K turns with the crank arm L so as to swing the swing arm K to either side, as previoirsly mentioned and shown in Figs..2 and 4, with a view to engage opposite sides of the razor blade I with the peripheral face of the sharpening wheel H, and when this has been done and a-further turning is given by the operator to the crank arm L then the members of the fri.ction device 0 glide over the collar K and thus hold the cutting edge of the blade I with the desired force in contact with the eripheral face of the wheel H. It is understoodthat When-the operator stops rotating the crank arm L in one direction and begins to swing the crank arm over in the opposite direction then the wheel H remains stationary for the time being until the projection F passes around and engages the other side of the projection G, as abovdexplained, so that the cuttin edge of the blade I isliftedofl' the perip eral face of the wheel H at the time the latter is at a standstill, and about the'time the razor blade I and the holder J stands in vertical position the wheel H begins to rotate in the oppo site direction and is rotating by the time the other side of the razor blade I engages 60 the peripheral face of the wheel H. By the operator adjusting the clamping screw 0 more or less friction is had between the clamping members and the,col lar K and consequently the'razor blade is held with more or less force in contact with theperipheral face of the roller H. The handle L of the crank arm L is preferably removable to permit of packing the parts in a com paratively small box.

-As previously mentioned, the wheel H is removably held onthe sleeve G to permit the interchange of wheels for stropping or honing purposes, and ino'rder'to lock the wheel H in place-on the sleeve G seas to rotate 6 withtfie-l'atterand to prevent accidental removal of the wheel from the sleeve the following arrangement is made: Near the inner end of the sleeve G is formed an outwardly-extending lug G adapted to fit into a recess H arranged on the inner end of the wheel H (see Fig. 3), so that when the sleeve G is turned the wheel H turns with it. The lug G is adapted to be engaged by a locking arm P held on the inner end ofia rod P extending lengthwise through the wheel H, and being provided on its outer end with an angularhandle P under the control of the user. Thus after the wheel H has been slipped onto the sleeve G and the lug G has engaged the recess H then. the operator swings the handle P inward toward the center of the wheel so as to swing the arm P, over the rear face of the lug G to lock the wheel H against sliding off the sleeve G. 35

The blade holder J is arranged to accommodate razor blades of various makesof safety razors, and the holder J is preferably in the form of a clamp having a hollow back J and clamping members J J between 0 which passes the blade I with the reinforced back I of the blade extending into the back J of the holder, as plainly indicated in Figs. -3 and 7. The front member J 3 of the holder'J is provided with spaced apertures J 4 through which extend clam ing pins Q held on a clamping lever Q ulcrumed .at Q on the front member J and the said clamping lever Q is provided with a struck up tongue Q bearing against the member J 3 to normally hold the clamping lugs or pins Q in engagement with the razor blade I, thus pressing the same against the holder member J The clamping lever Q is provided with an upwardly-extending handle Q under the control of the operator for conveniently pressing the clamping lever so as to move the lugsQ out of engagement with the blade I to allow removal thereof from the holder. In case the blade I is of' the Gillette type, that is, provided with apertures then the .said lugs Q ofthe clamping lever Q, v engage the said apertures thus holding the blade securely in position in the holder J. For non-flexible razor blades, .as shown in Fig. 8, the holder J has its back J made in tubular form so as to read ily accommodate the heavy back of such razor blade, but otherwise the blade is held clamped in position in the holder J by the lugs Q of the lever Q.

In order to accommodate razor blades of more or less width it is necessary to adjust the holder J nearer to or farther from the peripheral face of the wheel H, and for this purpose the holder J is provided on top with a threaded shank J 5 screwing in a nut K secured or formed on the free member K of the swing arm K. The threaded shank J is providedjwith a'lengthwisea extending groove by a set screw it sciewingm the nut K and serving to loclr ti shank J and conseqnently the holder J in the adjusted posi tion, The said screw is of a diameter somewhat less than the width of the groove i to allow a slight turning movement of the holder 5 to permit the cutting edge of the blade I to properly engage the periph' eral face of the sharpening wheel H. The

swing arm K is provided with a mark K to ermit :oro er adnstment or" the holder r r J the holder J is so adjusted and the cranlr' arm L is turned then the cullingv edge of the blade l engages the peripheral face of wheel at the correct. angle to insure proper sharpening of the cutting edge.

' Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

blade sharpener, comprising arpening wheeha swing'mni, in uer onthe said swing arm for -asor blade in peripheral engageinent with the said wheel, and actuating means Emotionally connected with the said swing arm and positively connected with the said sharpening wheel to relate the latter and to impart a swinging motion to the said swing arm to engage either side of the cutting edge of the blade with the peripheral face of the said wheel.

2. A razor blade sharpener, comprising a revoluble sharpening wheel, a swing arm having a member approximately parallel to the axis of the said wheel, a blade holder on the said swing arm member and adapied to hold a blade in engagement with the peripheral face of the said-wheel, a manu' ally-controlled gearing for rotating the said wheel, and a friction drive connected with the said gearing and mounted on the said swing arm to impart-a swinging motion to the latter to engage either side of the cutting edge of the blade with the peripheral face of-' the said wheel.

3. A razor blade sharpener, comprising a revoluble sharpeningwheel, a swing arm having a member approximately parallel to the axis of the said wheel, a blade holder on the said swing arm member and adapted to hold a blade in engagement with the peripheral face ofthe said wheel, a crank arm mounted to turn loosely on the pivot of the said swing arm, gear'wheels connecting the said crank arm with the said wheel, and a friction. device connecting the said crank arm with the pivot of the said swing arm.

4. A; razor blade sharpener, comprising a age-sass? 7) engaged one of the said members being the outer revoluble'sharpening wheel, a swing arm having a member extending approximately parallel to the said wheel, a blade holder for holding a razor blade and adjnstably held on the said swing arm member, and manually-controlled means for imparting a swin in motion to the said swine: arm

and rotating the said wheel,

5. A razor blade sharpener, comprising a frame, a shaft jonrnaled in the said. frame,

a sleeve on the said shaft and adapted to turn with the said shaft, asharpening wheel removably held on the said sleeve in tai ing with, the same, a swing arm having parallel members at the ends, one of the said mommies being the outer free member and parallel to the of the said wheel, and the other member being jcnrnaled in a bearing on the said frame, a blade holder on the said free member of the swing frame, a crank arm having a hub loose on the bea ing for the journal member of the swing arm, gear wheels connecting the hub of the said crank arm with the said shaft, and a friction clamp held on the said crank arm and engaging the journal member of the swing arm.

6. A razor blade sharpener, comprising a frame, a shah? journaled in the said frame, a sleeve on the said shaft and adapted to turn with the said shaft, the said sleeve having a projecting tooth at the outer end and 'the said shaft having a lug adapted'to engage either side of the said teeth, a sharp ening wheel removably held on the said sleeve and rotating with the same, a swing arm having parallel members at the ends,

member and parallel to the axis of the said wheel,- and the other member being gournaled in a bearing on the said frame, a

blade holder on the said free member of the swing irarn a crank arm having a hub loose on the bearing for the journal member of the swing arm, gear wheels connecting the hub of the said crank arm with the said. shaft, and a friction clamp held on the said crank arm and engaging the said journal member of the swing arm. I Y

7 A razor blade sharpener, comprising a frame, a shaft jonrnaled in the said frame, a sleeve on'the said shaft and adapted to turn with the said shaft, a sharpening wheel removably held on the said sleeve and rotatingwith the some, a swinger-m having arallel members at the ends, one of the said members being the enter free member and parallel to the axis olthe said wheel, and the other member being journaled in a bearing-on the saidframe, a bladeholder on the said free-member of the swing frame, a-crank arm having a hub loose on the bearing for the journal member of the swing arm, gear wheels connecting thehub of the said crank arm with the said shaft, and a f the swing arm.

friction clamp held on the said crank arm and engaging the said journal member of 8. A razor blade sharpener, comprising a 5 revoluble sharpening wheel, a swing arm from the peripheral face of the said wheel, the said threaded shank having a groove extending lengthwise of the shank, and a set screw on the swing arm engaging the said groove.

9. A razor blade sharpener provided with a sharpening. Wheel, a sleeve slidably engaged by the said wheel and having an upturned lug, and a locking rod extending t-hroughuthe, said wheel and provided at its rear end with a locking arm adapted to engage the said lug, the said locking rod having a handle on the forward end for turning the rod. I

10. A razor blade sharpener, provided with a sharpening whe'el having a recess at its rear end, a sleeve onto which fits the said wheel and provided with a Lug adapted to engage the said recess to rotate the wheel on turning the sleeve, and a manually-controlled locking device on the wheel engaging the said lug to hold the wheel against removal from the sleeve.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the two subscribing witnesses.

CHRISTIAN ALTER. Witnesses. 4

THEO. G. Hosrnn, PHILIP D. ROLLHAUS.

presence of 

